


Blonde and Green

by Electricgirl101



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Rating May Change, Written and posted before season 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-15 22:33:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11240652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Electricgirl101/pseuds/Electricgirl101
Summary: Sequel to my one-shot: "Betrayal"He was frozen in ice for months by who he once considered his best friend. She was fried by her lover and left for dead. Now together again, with a their pasts hanging over their heads, they now have to find a way to survive in this city.Takes place after season three finale.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prologue takes place during the last episode of season three. The next chapter will take place after the events of the finale.

"There's no way they could have possibly found out."

The blonde pulled her alcoholic beverage away from her lips, and placed it back onto the surface of the bar. She adjusted her position in the stool, so that she could address her partner more directly.

"There isn't." Barbara agrees. She hasn't said or done anything that could give their little secret away. She also knows Ed is far to smart to spill something this important, so accusing him of dropping the ball was out the window. "This isn't about that."

Neither of the two spoke about what had happened until now.

Both criminals have spent the last several days running around Gotham to deal with Penguin, leaving them both too distracted to worry about Tabitha or Butch finding out about their special rendezvous.

This made Ed especially caught off guard when hearing the troubling news from the Barbara, regarding said duo.

 

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you sure you aren't mistaken?" His tone seeped of concern.

"Nygma, I've known these two muscle-heads for a long time now. I think it's safe to say I know what I'm talking about." 

"But why the hell would Butch and Tabitha want _you_ dead?" Ed exclaimed.

Barbara sighs, taking one last gulp of her drink before continuing. "Probably because of you."

Ed scoffs. It was no secret how much the two of them despised him. Not only has he tortured them both (cutting off Tabitha's hand in the process), he has made their lives a living hell ever since he teamed up with Barbara. It's been such a joy watching them squirm.

"If they want me dead that badly, they can kill me themselves. What would they get out of your death?"

Barbara hesitates, choosing her words carefully in her head before speaking.

"The truth is, I'm the reason you've been alive this long."

Ed tilts his head. "Pardon?"

Barbara always knew he would find out eventually. She just didn't expect to be the one to tell.

"When we first started working together, it sickened Tabitha. All she wanted was your head on a silver platter. I can't remember the last time I've seen her so hungry for someone's blood." Ed nods. "She was especially pissed at me for constantly defending you. So naturally, I had to keep her at bay."

He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

Barbara looked at the ground for a few seconds, bracing herself, before looking back up at Ed.

"I made a promise to her, that once you're done helping me take over Gotham, and securing my place at the head of the table, she could kill you."

Ed's eyes widened. Whether it was with shock or fury, she couldn't tell. Possibly both?

The Sirens grew completely silent. The only noise to be heard was the traffic outside the window. 

Once several moments passed without either of them saying a word, Barbara decided to continue.

"Since I obviously didn't go through with it, her and Butch want me out of the picture, alongside you."

Ed doesn't respond right away. Instead, he scoffs and walks over towards the window.

Barbara waited anxiously for him to say something. She originally called him in so he could help her deal with Tabitha and Butch. But he just kept asking questions and now… she might need to worry about Ed getting to her first.

"So why didn't you kill me?" He asked, without turning around. His voice was monotone.

She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

 When not hearing anything, Ed continued.

"You have control over all the gangs in Gotham. You now know about the Court of Owls. You have Tetch at your disposal, and the city on its knees. You have everything you wanted. I'm useless to you now. You could've had your friends kill me days ago."

She didn't respond.

"In fact," Ed continued. "killing would be more beneficial to you than anything. Butch and Tabitha aside, there's still Penguin to deal with. You could have used my death as some type of ceasefire. I'm the one who dumped him in the river and destroyed his empire. He cares more about me than he ever did about the three of you. Killing me could save you a lot of trouble, especially now that he and Fish are out there, planning God knows what."

Barbara straightened herself on the stool. "I guess it just never crossed my mind."

Ed turned back to her. His expression was cold and collected. However, he didn't appear to be angry, which came to Barbara as a pleasant surprise. Despite this, she decided it was better to not get too relaxed, especially now that he was walking towards her. Nygma has always been difficult to read.

"I don't believe that." Ed took the seat directly next to her. He turned himself so that he was facing her directly. He let one elbow rest on the counter, so that his arm could hang in front of him, his hand intertwined with the other, as his other elbow rested on his knee.

Ed cleared his throat. "You can be extremely emotional, but I you're not stupid."

She wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that statement.

"You have to have thought that killing me would make all your problems disappear." As he said 'disappear' he lifted his hands, and waved them in a circular motion, before folding them once again. "So what made you change your mind?"

His dark brown eyes glared through lenses of his glasses, and stared right into her light blue ones. Barbara felt like those eyes could see into her soul, like he knew everything about her, even the things she didn't want him to know.

He could see right through her. Like glass.

Tension rose, and the question still hung in the air. Both the adults sat in their seats, completely silent. 

"I don't know." Barbara stated. "I just did."

Ed tilted his head again. "Ms. Kean, I'm finding it very difficult to trust you as of right now. So if you still want me to help you deal with Tabitha and Butch, I'm going to need a real answer."

Barbara looked to her empty glass, and back to Ed. She sighed exhaustively.

"I didn't want you to die because after awhile, I actually did enjoy having you around." She admitted.

Ed raised his eyebrows.

"You helped me out a lot. With business, with Tabitha…" She gets quiet as she remembers their time together. It was almost a week ago, but it felt like just yesterday. So new, and still exciting. "I considered you to be a friend."

Now it was Ed's turn to be speechless. 

He straightened himself in the stool, as if waiting for her to say something else.

"Tabitha and Butch don't need to know all that, of course." Barbara quickly added.

"Of course." Ed agreed.

Hearing her say all this made him both relieved, and quite glad. When he originally agreed to sleep with her, it wasn't purely out of lust. He knew she was not herself while simultaneously dealing with the stress of Gotham's underworld, and Tabitha's backstabbing. He lent her the emotional (and physical) support she needed to get back on track, so hearing that she cared about his well being was almost… comforting.

It was enough to convince him that she won't turn on him. She'll be by his side as he takes down Penguin once and for all. And he'll be able to watch her rule Gotham for years to come.

"I expected you to be much more upset." She admitted. Barbara stepped off the stool and made her way around the counter to refill her cup.

"Trust me, that deal of yours is the least of my concerns." Ed retorts. "What I am concerned about now is tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber." Barbara pulls out a bottle from under the counter and begins to fill her glass up again. "What do you plan on doing to them?"

Barbara pulls out a second glass from behind the counter and pours a drink for Ed. "For now, I'm gonna keep on eye on them; send men to watch them, bug their cell phones, etc." She picks up the glass, now filled with red wine, and holds it out to him. A small smile appears as she continues. "Once I catch what their plan is, that's where you come in." 

A smug smirk grows across Ed's face, as he takes the drink. The thought of him being the one to put an end to those two thorns in his side was absolutely electrifying.

"Don't worry, Ms. Kean. If either of them so much as try to hurt you, I'll deal with them both myself."

The partners in crime clink their glasses together, and drink their glasses empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :D  
> Things will really pick up next chapter, so stay tuned!


	2. Waking Up

Tires screeched loudly from the friction of the rubber against the dry concrete, as the old car made a sharp turn into the alley. This would have done little to help the two men, if they hadn't gotten so much farther ahead of the police cars.

Once entering the alley, the older man in the driver's seat slammed on the brakes, to avoid colliding the car with the dumpster at the end of the path. Both men felt the momentum pull them forward, before being yanked back into their seats by their seat belts. The driver wiped his black hair out of his face before letting out an exhausted sigh. The man was in his late fifties, had an oval shaped head, and dark brown eyes, with rough stumble covering his chin.

"Are they gone, Eric?" The second man asked. He was around the same age as the first man, though he had much shorter, blonde hair, and with a clean cut.

"I can't hear the sirens anymore." Eric said, turning his head, as if to see a cop car suddenly appear around the corner. "I think we finally lost them."

The blonde man breathed loudly in relief, while pushing his head back against the seat.

"Where the hell even are we?" Eric asked.

"We passed a sign a few miles back that said we were entering Gotham." The blonde man said.

Eric turns his head back with a mixed look of disbelief and anger. "Gotham!?" He exclaimed.

"Yeah. Why?"

Erin groaned in annoyance, wiping his hand over his face.

"What's wrong with Gotham?" The blonde asked.

"Everything." Eric retorted, not in the mood to give a full answer. He bangs his head against the headpiece of his seat. "Ugh, this is all your fault, Andy!"

"My fault?! You're the one who started throwing bottles!" Andy yelled back.

"You're the one who suggested we go drinking tonight!"

"Yeah, cause I didn't expect you to get drunk an hour in and get into another bar fight. Maybe I had a little faith that you learned your lesson."

"Screw you." Eric grunted. He opened the door to the car and stepped out, Andy following soon after on his side of the vehicle.

"Where the hell are you going?" Andy exclaimed, following Eric as he makes his way down the alley.

"We can't drive back yet. We need to wait this one out." Eric explained, as he looked around the alley for anything that may prove to be useful. "The cops are probably still looking."

"Fantastic." Andy said sarcastically. "So what do you suggest we do until then, genius?"

"Hide up here?" Eric nodded his head to a fire escape that leads up the side of a building. The towering structure had rusty metal windows on each floor. Old concrete bricks that appeared to have lost their color over the years, barely held it all in place. It seemed to have been abandoned a long time ago.

Andy sighed. "Fine. But only until the ringing in my ear stops."

Eric climbed up first, Andy hesitantly following. The two men went up a couple of floors, until finding a broken open window near the top. The two of them climbed in carefully, making sure to not be pieces by any of the broken pieces.

The room's walls were decorated with wooden panels, all broken or falling off. Some were gone completely.

It seemed that they were now in what once was an apartment. There was one section with an old refrigerator and a few counters (presumably the kitchen area). Another had several broken chairs and a ripped up couch. A few were for the most part empty, with notching but dirty wooden floors, and the occasional rat scurrying across.

"Jesus Christ." Eric whispered. "What a hell hole."

He creeped his way over to the kitchen area, moving slowly to make sure his own weight won't pull him down through the floor boards. Andy tip-toed in the opposite direction, moving into a larger section of the apartment. Neither were really looking for anything in particular. Just exploring out of pure curiosity.

Andy turned the corner, when suddenly his eyes met with something, or better yet, someone unexpected.

Lying on the ground in the middle of the room was a young woman, probably in her twenties. She had short blonde hair, and wore a dark black dress, with a fur collar. In fact, most of what she wore was black. Her dress, her gloves, her stockings. There was a broken light stand that laid beside her, which was probably the source of the foul smell. She was completely motionless.

Andy rotated around her body, checking for any signs of life. Once able to look at her face, he saw her eyes were wide open, but lacked color. Instead they had a grayish shade over the pupils and iris.

Still shocked at his discovery, Andy was still processing what was happening when Eric entered the room.

Eric's eyes immediately went to the body on the floor. His eyes widened, but he wasn't as flabbergasted as his partner.

"Guess she got fried." Eric finally said, gesturing to the broken light on the floor, after a long moment of silence.

With caution, Andy slowly made his way over to her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Eric exclaimed. "You might get electrocuted too!"

"I think if there was any juice left, we wouldn't be here right now." Andy responded, now crouching down next to the blonde.

He reached over to grab her arm. Before Eric could protest, Andy flipped her so that she was completely on her back, revealing some of the blackened wood beneath her.

He lowered himself so that his ear rested on top of her chest. After a few moments, he raised it again.

"I don't hear a heartbeat!" Andy exclaimed. He immediately got on his knees. He tilted her head to open up her mouth, before putting his hands on top of her chest, and pushing them down repetitively.

"Well that's a shame, but not our problem." Eric said. Andy ignores him, and continues with his chest compressions. After a full set, he places his mouth on top of hers.

"What the hell Andy!" Eric yelled. "You don't know where that thing has been!"

He ignores him, and starts a new set of chest compressions.

"I said knock it off! She's dead!"

Eric darted across the room, and grabbed onto Andy's arm. He jerked him up towards himself, in an attempt to get him away from the woman.

In the process, Andy stepped and tripped on one of the wires attached to the broken lamp.

Due to being old and wore out, it snapped open.

The two men stumbled backwards quick enough to make distance between them and the lamp, before the sparks started to fly out.

Through the exposed end of the wire, bolts of electricity flew out, stretching across the room; some hitting the floor, most hitting the woman on the ground. The previously motionless body began to shake from the energy.

Seeing this made the two men stand up in a hurry, and rush to the other side of the room, to avoid any chance of getting caught in the crossfire.

The fireworks didn't last long (which wasn't surprising, given how old the building must be). The sparks stopped after about ten seconds of combustion. The room fell completely silent, with even the rats not making a sound. Both men stared at the once again motionless body on the floor.

"Well, if she wasn't dead already, she certainly is now." Eric laughed, pulling himself up, and Andy with him.

As if on cue, the woman on the floor suddenly gasped, breathing in her first breath in god knows how long.

This caused both men to jump back, Eric banging into the side of the wall in the process.

The blonde woman, breathes several more times in a row, as her vision went from black, to blurry, until she could see the broken ceiling above her.

Once becoming aware that she was lying on her back, she made an attempt to push herself up.

However, she could still barley feel the muscles in her arms and legs. So when she tried to lift her weight off the ground, she barely managed to lift herself an inch off the floor before falling down again.

"What the hell?!" Eric yelled. He could barely process what was happening. She was practically a corpse just a minute ago.

Andy was too in shock to say a word. Only stare and wait to see what she would do.

She made a second attempt to get up, this time accomplishing sitting up. Now the two men could see that they gray cloud in her eyes from before was gone. In its place was a bright shade of blue.

It seemed that only now she was noticing that she wasn't alone. She turned her head to look over at the two men cowering in the corner. None of them said a word.

She then placed her hands on the ground, and forced herself onto her feet, letting out a few grunts, as if to show how much effort it was just to stand.

Once on her feet, slightly slumping over, she looked back at the two men once again. However this time, it was a look of anger.

"Where is she?" She growled through her teeth.

Neither of the two men answered. They both were still processing what had just happened.

She looked around the room furiously, until she spotted a silver pistol on the ground a few feet behind her, almost hidden in the shadows. Somehow both men seemed to have overlooked it. She quickly darted towards it and picked it up, not hesitating to point it at the two men.

"I said, where is she?" She yelled, jerking the gun in their direction.

Both men immediately put their hands in the air.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!" Andy exclaimed.

"Answer me!" She screamed, moving towards them.

"We don't know who you're talking about!" Eric yelled back.

"Yeah, we just got here!" Andy added.

She narrowed her eyes.

"My name is Barbara Kean. So I think it'd be wise for you to tell me what I want to know, if you want to continue breathing." She snapped. "Now, I'll ask one more time- where is she?"

Andy started to shake.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know! Honest! I really don't-"

_Bang._

The gun goes off.

A bullet from her pistols fires off into Andy's forehead, before his body collapses on the floor.

Eric watches as his friend's body falls, his heart stopping in his chest. He turns back to Barbara, to find the pistol was now pointed at his head. His mind was racing, trying to find a way out of this. He thought maybe he could make a run for the window, but that would be suicide.

"That's quite a way to repay somebody for saving your life." He sneered.

"Oh, so you're a wise-guy, huh?" She coed. "I wonder how smart you'll be with a bullet lodged in your brain."

"Calm down, lady." He said. As he says this he reaches behind him, and grips onto one of the broken pieces of wood hanging off the wall.

Barbara titled her head. "Do I know you? You seem very familiar."

"Trust me, if we ever met, I would remember." Eric states.

With that, he rips the wood of the wall, and slams it into the back of Barbara's head in one swift motion. It snaps in two when collided with her skull, and she stumbles to the side, losing her grip on her gun. It slips from her gloved hand, and slides across the room.

Eric takes this chance to make a run for it. He runs through the kitchen and heads towards the broken window where he originally entered.

Regaining her senses while still having a throbbing pain in her head, Barbara finds her balance, and reaches for her gun. Out of the corner of her eye? She notices the older man about to reach a broken window.

Knowing he was planning on escaping, she grabbed her gun off the floor, and immediately fired in his general direction.

Right when his hand gripped the frame of the window, Eric felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He immediately collapsed to the ground, crying out in agony, while gripping his wound. He could feel the wet stain forming on the sleeve of his shirt, followed by his own blood dripping from his hand.

Before he knew it, Barbara was standing over him, pointing the guns at him once again.

"Are you sure we never met before?" She asked. "Even your scream sounds fairly familiar. Oh! We're ever one of those drunk guests at the Sirens that refused to leave? I might have heard Butch disciplining you through the walls."

Eric looked up, now furious. "You crazy bitch!" He snapped.

"Well, true." Barbara agreed. She didn't seem to be insulted at all. In fact, she was smiling gleefully, as if she found their whole situation to be humorous.

Eric tried to crawl away, though he knew it was hopeless at this point.

Noticing this Barbara pushed her three inch heel into his back, pinning him to the ground.

"But I think we can both agree that being crazy is a step up from being dead." Barbara continued. "Which reminds me," she readjusts her aim. "Say hi to your friend for me!"

Eric closed his eyes, and waited for the inevitable.

_Click._

Nothing came.

Eric opened his eyes, and was surprised to see that nothing had changed.

He looked up to find Barbara looking and shaking her gun, before finally groaning in annoyance, admitting it was out of ammo, and throwing it to the side.

Eric wanted to laugh, but before he could, he was met with another one of her high heels across his face. His head slammed onto the wooden floor with such force, he vision went dizzy for a moment.

By the time he came to, he looked up to find that she was gone.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a car engine coming to life.

Wait a minute.

He quickly pulled himself to his knees and looked out the window. There he found that Barbara had gotten into his car (probably took his keys from his pocket after kicking him), and had turned on the engine.

"Hey!" He yelled down. "That's my car!"

She probably couldn't hear him over the engine, and even if she could, she probably wouldn't care.

Barbara stepped on the gas, and pulled out of the alley way below, before disappearing into the city, leaving Eric bleeding and alone.

* * *

"I'm sorry sir, but... you put on some weight."

Oswald raises his eyebrows at the tailor. "Come again?"

The older gentlemen swallows, bracing himself. "There's nothing wrong with it, sir. I could easily make you another suit. It's just that all the other suits that you own that are appropriate for this occasion don't fit you right."

Oswald's jaw hangs open for a moment or two. He lets out an amused laugh, before slamming his now empty wine glass onto the nearby stool.

"The opening for my Iceberg Lounge is tomorrow!" Oswald snapped.

The tailor flinched from sudden, though not surprising, aggression.

"Yes, I understand sir-"

"You do realize that this is more that an opening for a night club right, Theodore?"

The tailor doesn't respond.

"I have spent the last four months regaining the trust and partnerships of all the crime families in Gotham." Oswald explains. "Tomorrow night, I will be publicizing my position as the king of Gotham's underworld, once again. That means everything needs to be perfect!"

"I understand sir, I just-"

"Then go get your things, and make me a new suit!" Oswald snaps.

Theodore nods his head before dashing out of the room, nearing head butting for Ivy, would had just entered through the door.

"Is everyone okay, Pengy?" Ivy asked. "I heard more yelling than usual."

Oswald groaned. "None of my festive suits fit anymore." He explained. "Apparently I put on a few too many pounds."

"Oh, somebody finally told you?" Ivy exclaimed. "Thank god, I didn't want to be the one to point it out."

Oswald rolled his eyes. He grabbed onto the cane leaning on the wall, before waddling over to the glass window behind him. "It's not even that bad."

"Ehhhhh, it's pretty bad." Ivy admitted.

Oswald sighed. If anybody else were to say that to him in such a care-free manner, he'd have them killed on the spot.

Ivy, however, was an exception. Despite being extremely childish and often quite a moron, she had helped him greatly in the past. Not only had she nursed him back to health after nearly being killed by a gunshot wound to the chest, but she had played a huge role in him regaining his power over the city. After helping get his revenge on the man he once considered his best friend, she assisted in persuading the crime families to work beside Oswald once again (using her special perfume when necessary). She also played a huge role in promoting the Iceberg Lounge, and was probably the main reason they had the whole city buzzing about it. Business aside, she had also stayed up with Oswald to listen to him rant about his enemies and tell stories of his past. She would often turn the subject to be about plants somehow, but she still cared about what he had to say.

She was the only friend he had left.

"How are the preparations?" Oswald asked, looking out onto the street of the city.

"Everything is ready!" Ivy responded gleefully. "I think you'll be pleased with the caterers I chose!"

"Wonderful." Oswald smiled for a moment, not turning from his position at the window. "And how is my main centerpiece doing?"

"He's doing well! Still a man of few words. Fries finished escorting him to the lounge a few hours ago."

Oswald straightened his stance, his eyes filled with pride. "Fantastic."

The centerpiece of the club was more than just a centerpiece; it was Oswald's trophy. A prize for him to show off to all of Gotham city. A reminder to all power figures and crime bosses, that those who dare to cross the Penguin will suffer dearly at his hand. A reminder that even the most powerful and influential criminals of the city can be brought to their knees by Oswald Cobblepot.

Oswald turned to his friend. "Tomorrow night will be a historical night, Ivy." He waddled over closer to her. "Tomorrow night, this city will remember what the name Oswald Cobblepot means."

Ivy giggles. "Aw, I love it when you get all excited and menacing."

Oswald chucked. He was in such a good mood that not even Ivy's belittling comments could ruin this for him.

"Come, friend." Oswald said, and he limped past her, towards the door. "There's still much to do before tomorrow."

* * *

The Sirens had been completely abandoned. It probably has been since she had last been there all those months ago.

This didn't surprise Barbara, but it still was upsetting to see. This had been her main source of profit; both from clubbing, and from their business meetings with other crime families.

Not to mention, it held so many memories. Not all of them necessarily good, but most were.

She remembered when Tabitha and her first opened the place. It was a game of chance, but it worked out well. They were able to make more than enough money to live off of, as well as still hold an intimidating presence in Gotham, especially with Butch helping run security.

It's where she rained hell onto the city from her throne, after her and Nygma took down Penguin. The crime families of Gotham feared her. She had the entire city wrapped around her pinkie finger. A short lived victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Now it was gone.

So was Tabitha. And Butch. And Nygma.

All those names sounded so different now. She used to consider each of them a friend. Now one of them was killed by her hand, after planning to kill her. Another tried to kill her, and nearly succeeded. And another threw her to the sharks for his own needs.

All traitors.

She knew she couldn't turn to either of the two living ones for help, nor did she want to.

However, they still needed to pay.

Tabitha could have very well left town for all Barbara knew. Or had just found a new place to hide in the city. Either way, she couldn't begin her mission of revenge just yet with her.

Nygma however... well there was only one place he could be.

However, much like the Sirens, the old hotel he had been hiding at was also abandoned. Hardly a thing has changed from when she had last been there. The only difference was the rats that had claimed it as their own. This only further showed that nobody had been there for a long time.

Where the hell could that green jackass have gone? Was he killed by Penguin? Was he arrested and sent back to Arkham?

She also considered that he had been caught here, and thus, had to hide elsewhere, but this theory was quickly debunked when she saw that all the cash from the banks he had robbed were exactly as he left them. If the police had found this place, they would have no doubt, confiscated the money.

Barbara wasn't complaining, however. Since the Sirens was shut down, and she had no access to her previous profit, the bags of stolen cash were very much welcomed. She eagerly loaded them into the trunk of the car she had taken just earlier that day.

She used this money to rent an apartment just down town (since she also now had no place to live, of course). Using an alias, and passing off the bags of money as her luggage, Barbara settled into her new home, with little eagerness.

Now she had no clue what to do. She could only stay hidden for so long. Eventually she'll have to go outside to buy groceries. It was only a matter of time before somebody recognized, and she would be shipped back to Arkham. Not to mention, the money would run out eventually. It was a lot, but not enough to live off of for the rest of her life.

She was too exhausted and upset to care about any of that now. After bringing all the bags of money into the new flat, she collapsed on her bare bed. She slept for the rest of the afternoon, as well as all through the night. She was still starving, but she had taken a box of stale cereal from Nygma's hotel and eaten enough to hold her off for now. She was more tired than anything, and just needed sleep. She needed an escape, no matter how short lived, from the new hell her life has become

She was alone in Gotham city with no friends.

 It wasn't until the morning paper landed on her rug, that she had some insight on what to do next.

 

_**OSWALD COBBLEPOT'S NEW ICEBERG LOUNGE: GRAND OPENING TODAY!** _

 

In big bold letters on the front page. Below the headline was an image of the short man standing in front of what seemed to be a mansion, covered in ice.

Barbara had to admit, as much as the man got under her skin, it was a gorgeous building.

However, this article made one thing clear: Oswald won the war.

That fact alone made the possibility of Nygma being dead a lot more likely.

Such a shame.

Meanwhile, this also made things worse for her. If Penguin was running Gotham's underworld, he could possibly have sent out a hit on her, as well as the others. This could explain why Tabitha and Nygma (if still alive) disappeared.

She would have to be extra cautious. If not, a goon could shot off her head at any given time.

Despite these odds, she had to admit- was extremely curious. Especially after reading further into the article, where she learned Oswald had a surprise for Gotham, in which he was going to reveal tonight at the new lounge.

A grin grew across the blonde's face.

It looks like she'll be using some of Nygma's money to buy a new dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this turned out to be longer than originally planned. Oops.  
> I was actually considering adding one more scene at the end, but I guess it can wait until the next chapter. Don't worry, it'll come sooner than this one did!  
> Anyways, thanks for reading! :D Feedback is greatly appreciated!


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